Weekend Up-Hate: Jeffrey Loria cares about the economy

March 16, 2009|Posted by Michael Cunningham at 6:00 AM

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria says the timing for a new Marlins stadium could never be better because people need jobs. He urged Miami and Miami-Dade commissioners to vote for the $515 million ballpark over the next few days.

The Hater wholeheartedly agrees. It's always a good time to hand over public money to a private business that is putting up little money but that will get nearly all the profits from increased revenues while the public reaps little to no financial benefit. But it's especially a good time now because even if Miami can't pay for trivial things like urban development it should find a way to fund a shiny new ballpark. If the stadium ends up costing way more for the city than the deal indicates, which the history of stadiums built with public money says it certainly will, it's well worth it so hot dog vendors, parking attendants and ticket takers can have jobs. This is the kind of economic stimulus that's always needed.

Loria says those who oppose the stadium are "people who are opposed to progress." He says he wants the Marlins to flourish and "we can't flourish without a stadium." That's a call to action since Miami needs the Marlins to flourish because the economic health of Loria its citizens depends on it.

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria: 'Timing for the stadium could not be better' (Sun Sentinel).